The Last Sparks
by Mpmvirgo1
Summary: For eons he has watched over humanity, even long after his death. Simply watching and observing. When the world is set ablaze in a sea of fire and nearly all life on the planet is swept away, he returns once more to fan the flames of the last embers of humanity. This is the start of the Grand Order and the greatest trials of mankind.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, yes, I know. Lazy copy and pasting from my old story with a few small differences. I promise, only the opening is going to be the same. Everything else will start off differently from there. ;)**

 **Thanks for checking this story out! Please leave a review so I can make this story better!**

* * *

Humanity was a fickle thing. If one looked at their history, you could point out one significant similarity that each generation shared, from the beginning of time to the present day that was clear and apparent.

There was war.

There was violence.

There was Conflict and Strife.

Humanity fought with one another and could be considered selfish beings. They cared and prided themselves, creating sin and atrocities throughout the annals of history and the earth for as long as they have existed.

One could say they were a worthless cause. They gave nothing to offer than any other beast. They were like hungry wolves, traveling in packs and killing others to survive and thrive. Other times they were like curious cats, throwing themselves at whatever piqued their interest without any concern as to what they were throwing themselves into.

They were like the bacteria of earth, establishing dominance wherever they saw fit to rule and inhabit. And within a few thousand years, they had completely covered Gaia with their footsteps and marked themselves over the sands of the earth to the white clouds in the sky. Yet no matter how much they advanced, humanity still retained its roots within the sins of their predecessors.

They created kingdoms and tore them down.

They created nations and tore them down.

They created symbols of peace and worship but even then they were torn down.

Many of us who watch from the shadows and away from their eyes lost hope in humanity. Those who used to be worshiped by humans and governed them had once thought that they held promise, but have since... resend that claim. Humanity was a failure. Nothing good could come out of them. They were like ouroboros, eating themselves to become stronger and ambitious.

But some of us... saw them differently.

They held promise. They had hope. They were different than the other beasts created by Gaia. They had a will to survive unlike any other, and while they certainly create and wage war...

They have also demonstrated the capacity to love and care for others, more so than any other. In times of need, they will come together to survive and persevere. And while they may often break away, they will always come back to each other.

For there cannot be hate without love. Those who do not know what it means to feel pain cannot know about peace. And those who do not know what it means to care for each other and work together are doomed to fail.

They adapt and change, creating those who rise up above others to perform feats of worthiness and heroics that to this day, have not gone unforgotten. They have been around for a millennium, slowly but surely creating a calmness that has not been seen in humanity since the dawn of time when their population could be held in the palm of your hands.

Even then, they continue to struggle. They have built their empires, established civilization, and have started to collaborate to move beyond Gaia itself and see the vast ocean of stars above them. They work to establish ties with others and increase peace and working relationships with them. Slowly but surely, they begin to build upon each other.

I am proud of them. A long time ago, I fought for that same dream. I fought for a dream where peace and love may exist. I fought for a dream that everyone could live in harmony, without the need for senseless conflict. Even after my era and time became a legend amongst those of today, I still hoped and dreamed that a day like that would come.

But I knew that conflict would always happen, no matter what the era. Humans would always fight with each other over trivial things like money or oil, religious beliefs and status, goods and territory... the list goes on.

Still, I am proud of them. I always knew they had what it takes to coexist in a way that was closer to peace than any other era. The seeds planted throughout human history had done well. They needed a beacon of hope to look at... to remind them that they could become so much more than what they were now.

In a world like this, I wouldn't mind living in it once again. Perhaps I could see them from a personal view and watch them interact with each other, learning how society has truly changed since millennia ago.

Unfortunately my plans were put on hold when something happened that froze me and those who were still watching Gaia from after. For in the blink of an eye, Gaia had suddenly turned red, every inch of her ancient body covered in flames as they snuffed out the life of everything on the surface.

I was angry. Scratch that, I was beyond furious. Life is simply gone. There was nothing left on the planet of Gaia except for the screams of the earth mother, wailing in pain as the flames ate at her and destroyed all life.

I turned my fists and anger at the others, asking who would ever think of doing something like this. Of course, even I could tell that they had nothing to do with it. This was... something else. Something sinister.

So I decided that enough was enough after watching and listening to the pleas of mother earth. I was tired of waiting. I was going back to Gaia. I was going to figure out what the hell was going on. Of course, the few who were with me tried to persuade me to sit back and continue watching what happens, but unfortunately they knew better that I couldn't be dissuaded. I had already made up my mind to go back and return to earth.

Gaia wouldn't be happy with that fact, of course, but I always was able to convince her to let me visit her. Usually the puppy eyes and a promise to grow more healthy trees inside China worked wonders on her. Plus, she was currently on fire. She had better things to worry about other than me crawling around.

Using my sensing capabilities, I scoured the Earth for any sign of life and paused when I found myself staring at another anomaly. I'm surprised I hadn't noticed it before. it's a small passageway, barely recognizable unless you were looking extremely hard for it. You could say I was just lucky. From it was a kind of sinister energy, the focal point and gathering of numerous curses and where the fires were the brightest.

Fuyuki City.

Whatever it was, I was going to show up. Perhaps it had something to do with what had just happened? Most likely that origin of this chaos.

So I stood up and paid her a visit, resuming my human form once more for the first time in over a thousand years. Willing myself to the body of Gaia and crashing through the atmosphere, I found myself standing atop one of the collapsed stone building. One that was secluded and where no one seemed they would notice my landing.

I sighed as I felt the heat touch my skin. Really, it felt wonderful. Thousands of years in a body made of pure energy wasn't as exciting as one would think. In a body of flesh you could touch, feel, and taste everything.

I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings for a moment before steel determination crossed my eyes.

"Yes... This really is a beautiful world. A place like this... shouldn't be destroyed."

My name is Naruto Uzumaki, The Spiral That Watches Over Humanity.

I gazed towards the mountain in the distance, my instincts going off.

Something was happening... something important. Seemed like a good place to start if any.

* * *

"Somebody... Somebody save me!" A young woman screamed as she hovered closer and closer to the 'treasure' which she so coveted. The foundation that her family prided over everything else.

How she wish she could turn her eyes away.

"You should be grateful, Director. For I am giving you the gift of being reunited with your most precious treasure." Lev Flaurous, the former ally turned traitor of Chaldea, spoke with a gleam in his teeth. "Though it's not that much different than a black hole, or perhaps the sun. Either way, it doesn't matter. You'll be split apart at the molecular level, experiencing living infinite death until the last of you burns out."

"Director!"

"No, Sempai!"

A young man in his late teenage years as held back from running towards the floating director by a sleek lithe arm from his female companion. The two of them could only watch in horror as the Director's body, beyond her control, floated towards the sun-like orb in the sky.

"Why? Why does this always happen to me?!" The Director screamed, desperately trying to regain control of her body. "No, no, no! I mean, I haven't done anything yet! No one has ever praised me for anything!" Her eyes widened. She was now mere inches away from her death.

"Nooooooooo!"

Lev's smile grew wider. Truly, the screams of despair were the best. Everyone watched, fascination and horror, as the director was absorbed by the sun until nothing could be seen and the sounds of the director's pleas for help were silenced.

"Well, that's done." Lev sighed, slightly disappointed at not getting to hear her terrified screams. "I hadn't expected you to get this far, 48th master potential. Turning a blind eye because of your inabilities was a mistake."

The girl quickly moved in front of her master and planted her abnormally large shield into the ground, feeling a sudden danger as the man turned on them with his blank eyes.

"Hoh? How expected of a demi-servant. You noticed that I was a fundamentally different creature, couldn't you?" Lev bared his teeth, seemingly amused at this situation. "Why do you humans always want to avoid the course of Fate that is chosen for them?"

He shrugged. "Well, I'll simply reintroduce myself once more." He gave a mock bow. "I am Lev Lynor Flauros. I am the one in charge of 2016, tasked with the elimination of the human race." He straightened himself back up. "Are you listening, Dr. Roman? I know you can hear me."

The small watch like object beeped on the young man's hand. _"Professor Lev."_

"As fellow students who once studied sorcery together, I shall give you a final piece of advice." The man chuckled. "The future has not disappeared. It has been incinerated. Chaldea has probably been protected thanks to the magnetic field that surrounds it, but I'm sure that the outside has already met the same fate as this time."

 _"I see... So the reason why we haven't been able to contact the outside world isn't because of our connections, but because of the fact that there is no one to receive them."_

Everyone gasped. Lev just smiled.

"Do you understand now? You won't die because of an evolutionary deed, nor will you be destroyed after engaging in war with a different race, Rather, you shall perish because of your meaninglessness, your incompetence, and for your lost favor with our king! You will burn away like useless wastepaper, leaving no trace behind!"

As he finished saying that, the entire cave they were in trembled and rocks began raining down from the ceiling. The young man and the girl rightened themselves while Lev looked annoyed.

"An earthquake?" The man muttered.

"No... This is..." The girl whispered, clutching onto her shield.

"So this singularity has reached its limits, eh?." Lev grumbled, palming his face. "That damned Saber... trying to preserve this timeline even when she had the Holy Grail." He slowly began rising in the air, levitating towards the large hole in the sky were the director was absorbed. "And so farewell, Roman, Mashu, and the 48th potential. May we never meet again."

And with that, the man disappeared in a flash of light to safety and leaving the two to be trapped within the collapsing singularity. The two of them were broken out of their stupor when the rain of rocks began falling near them. Raising her shield, the girl covered the two of them from the debris.

"The cave is collapsing!" The girl grunted, forcing herself to hold up the shield. "Doctor, please activate the Rayshift immediately!"

 _"I know! I'm trying!"_ The doctor responded frantically. _"I'm sorry, but that cave might collapse around you first!"_ There was a sudden pause. _"Wait... Somethings approaching at high speeds towards your location! Ident-a- Par-met-r to Se-v-nt."_

The doctors voice fizzled out, having lost connection.

"Doctor?!" The man yelled out, gripping the device. As he did so, however, the ground split underneath them and the two of them were flung through the air.

"Sempai!" The girl cried out, finding herself blown away.

"Mashu!"

"Fou!"

The white creature on the young man's neck cried out as it tumbled through the air like a soccer ball. The two of them, Master and Servant, reached out to each other in order to stay together for whatever may happen. If they were going to die, they would die together.

Their fingers lightly touched, but they couldn't get close enough to hold hands. It didn't matter though. For if they could stay together, they could at least meet their ends in solace.

But then...

They both felt something touch them. A hand on both of their shoulders. Looking up, they saw the silhouette of a man with blonde hair and whisper marks grasping them both. There was a smile on his face, like he himself has found something precious.

"I found someone..."

And then the world went black.

* * *

Ritsuka Fujimaru gasped as his eyes shot open, his hand outstretched towards the ceiling as he woke up. Blinking, he looked towards the back of his hand where the command seal usually laid. Upon further examination, he noted that it was missing one of its marks and a simple faded tattoo had taken its place.

He sat up and groaned as he felt his muscles unwind. He must have been asleep for a while if his body locked up like this. Other than a few sore muscles, he didn't seem to have any permanent injuries.

"What... happened? Where am I?" He muttered, staring down in thought. All he remembered was the collapsing cave around them and then darkness. It seems the Doctor was able to Rayshift them back, but he must have passed out during the ordeal.

But wait...

Where was Mashu?

"Fou!"

He looked up, his eyes landing on a small creature that was sitting in a swivel chair right next to his bed. The creature was a small white ball of fluffiness that was no bigger than a teacup dog. It stared at him with cute purple eyes before jumping off the chair and trotting off towards the door, giving him a look to follow.

So he did. The creature known as Fou, whatever it is, was intelligent to a degree he has never seen from animals before. Mashu was its caretaker so it would no doubt lead him to her.

Climbing out of the bed, he glanced at the folded Chaldea uniform which had been neatly stacked on the table. He had only worn it for a day, and he couldn't believe it was still clean after what he had been through.

"Your clothes have been folded and processed if you're wondering."

"Eh?!" Ritsuka jumped in surprise as he spun around to face the unknown voice. Seated in the chair to the left of his bed was a young man who looked like he was in his early to mid twenties. He wore a white cloak with red flame patterns at the end over a bright orange shirt with black stripes. His pants were jet black and his dark boots had openings at the bottom resembling sandals which revealed his toes.

He looked Asian in descent, with hair color that was honestly rare in Japan. He was a natural blonde, with whisker marks on his face and vibrant blue eyes that resembled the sky.

All in all, he was pretty... bright.

"Sorry." The man said, leaning back in his chair. "It's been a while since I talked with anyone, so excuse me if my manners aren't top notch."

"Oh... it's fine." Ritsuka muttered, slightly disturbed a bit. How long had he been there?

"You're wondering how long I've been here, huh? Or what I'm even doing here, right?"

His eyes widened. "How-"

"It's written all over your face. Expressions can tell a person a lot of things." The man said with an amused tone as he stood up. "I was the one who saved you and your girlfriend when the space was collapsing, though it seems you already had an escape plan. I was just dragged along for the ride, so to speak." He looked around. "It's quite strange to think about. The future isn't as different as I thought it'd be."

Ritsuka blinked. This man was the one who showed up when the cave started collapsing? Now he's here with them? It seems like the doctors Rayshifting thing worked a little bit too well.

But...

"Um..." He muttered, feeling very sweaty. "Mashu isn't my girlfriend..."

The man just chuckled like they were sharing a private joke. "Mashu? What a nice name. I didn't get the chance to talk to her, but she seems like a nice girl. Definitely a keeper if I ever saw one." He leaned forward. "Go follow the furball. You need to have an important debrief. I'll talk to you later when you're done."

"What?" He glanced towards the door where Fou was tapping its furry tail against the floor impatiently. "Oh. I see... Thank-"

He turned back towards the chair and blinked. The man was gone. He looked around, wondering if he had managed to sneak out through somewhere but soon gave up trying to figure it out.

"Probably some magecraft technique."

* * *

After putting on his Chaldea uniform, he followed Fou through the winding hallways as the creature led him around until they finally arrived in the layshifting room after several minutes of walking.

He swore the dog-thing had led him around in circles for its own amusement.

Entering as the sliding doors opened, he couldn't help but wince at how much of the rubble had yet to be removed and restored. They were lucky that the explosion Lev rigged hadn't been bigger. Otherwise, he might have actually gotten the observational terminal in the center of the room.

Still continuing to follow Fou, he climbed through the rubble until eventually seeing the familiar sight of a white haired girl in standard issued Chaldea clothing looking around amongst the rubble. Smiling, he quickly moved towards her as Fou came to a sitting stop near her feet.

"Fou-san?" Mashu questioned, staring down at the small creature in surprise. "What's wrong?" She turned her head as his footsteps grew closer, her eyes widening in surprise before smiling. "Good morning, Sempai."

He paused for a moment before giving a smile of his own as he resumed walking towards her. "Good morning, Mashu." He replied before wrapping his kouhai in a hug, surprising the girl.

"Sempai?" She squeaked, obviously surprised by the action.

"Thank you..." He whispered, making her freeze at the compliment before smiling once again. This time, it was his turn to tense up in surprise when he felt her arms return the hug.

"It's thanks to you. Sempai." She whispered, feeling the unknown emotions flood into her. The two of them just stayed in their comforting embrace for several seconds before an awkward cough broke the silence.

"Ahem."

The pair quickly separated in surprise, seeing an awkward looking Doctor Roman sitting atop the rubble with his hands under his chin. Oddly enough, he actually seemed to be pretty serious right now despite the weird look in his eyes.

"Erm, well, First of all, congratulations on actually returning alive, Fujimaru-kun." Roman nodded, righting himself. "Thanks to your efforts, both Chaldea and Mashu have been saved. We can all thank you for that."

"Um... What about the director?" Fujimaru hesitantly asked, earning a sad look from the doctor.

"Unfortunately... She is gone."

Everyone seemed to perk down at that thought. True, the doctor had been quite strict and a few other words that had no business being said in the presence of civilized individuals, but her death had been a tragic one.

"Because of you three, the Fuyuki singularity has disappeared and history has been righted. However..." He turned towards SHIVA, the optical device. "Seven more singularities have been discovered. They're space-time disturbances that don't even compare to Fuyuki. Using our Rayshift and heading to these timelines are the only way we will be able to fix these anomalies." He walked towards one of the coffins, running his hand across its surface. "Other than you, everyone else is out of condition to take on the role of a master right now." He paused. "Well, other than another one, but she's not in proper condition right now. I took her off team B for showing signs of sickness, but she has yet to make a proper recovery."

He turned back to the pair, a steely look in his eyes. "48th master potential, are you and your servant prepared... To shoulder the responsibility of humanity's future?"

The master in question paused for a moment, an unsure look on his face before trading a small glance with Mashu who gave him a comforting smile. Righting himself up, his unsure look quickly morphed into one of determination as Fou jumped onto his shoulder.

"If it is something that I can do."

The doctor smiled, happy that the man has accepted the responsibilities. Everything must have been happening all too fast for the substitute master, but he was going to have to learn quickly. These are the greatest threats humanity faces, they had to be strong to stand against them.

Of course, some help would be welcome as well but the servant summoning system still needed to be prepped. It would surely take a day and a half to pr-

"Bravo, new master of Chaldea! You have demonstrated strengths of kindness and determination, the qualities of a true leader! Even with your hesitation to shoulder all of humanity's burdens, you have done so anyway! For that, you have my respect."

The trio turned in surprise, seeing the blonde man sitting casually atop one of the stone spikes that jutted out of the ground from the remnants of the rubble. How he got there without anyone noticing was beyond anyone.

"Oh, um..." Roman paused, staring at the man. "Kuzumai-kun... is it?"

"Oh, just drop the honorifics already." The man waved his hand dismissively. "Also, Kuzumai isn't my real name you know. It's an anagram of my true name. I just used that to hide my identity, ya know. To make sure you all were really worth my attention or you were just a fluke."

"So... What is your real name?" Fujimaru asked curiously as the man hopped down from his pillar.

"Well, it might come as a sort of shock." The man muttered, rubbing his neck. "Please watch closely."

In the air next to him, the word 'Kuzumai' appeared in golden fire. Swiping his hand through it, the words began rearranging themselves into another formation to spell-

"Uzumaki." Mashu read, everyones eyes widening. "Uzumaki... Spiral?"

"Well, my name does mean that." The man laughed in amusement. "Though that's not what it's usually associated with. It's usually associated with-"

"Naruto." Roman finished, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "A god of Shinobi. The Seventh Hokage of the hidden leaf, but... it shouldn't be possible! More importantly, why would you even be here?!"

"Oh but it is possible, dear doctor." Naruto smiled in amusement at their individual reactions. "Most of us don't choose to do it often, though. As for why I choose to come back... You could say that I felt compelled to by the goodness of my heart. Is it wrong for an individual to help if someone needs it?"

"Well, no..." Roman admitted, suddenly feeling like he had treaded in a minefield of nuclear explosives. "It's just... well... gods aren't known for being-"

"Benevolent, caring, awesome?" Naruto shrugged. "Don't worry, you've aptly described pretty much 85% of the immortals. The other 15% like me, however, love you guys. We can't leave you alone for a moment without getting worried. As such, I was the first one to respond to the burning flesh of Gaia to find out what was going on. It was just luck that I was the first one to reach you guys. Enough about that for a moment though..."

He turned towards Fujimaru, making the young man jump as he felt Naruto's eyes on him. Much to everyones surprise, however, Naruto stuck his arm out in a handshake gesture.

"For the sake of humanity and my ideals, I shall become your sword. My light is that of the Will of Fire to burn away all opposition for the correction of human order, and my chakra is that of the Six Paths to correct and guide you through this ordeal. My question to you, Master of humanity, do you choose to accept this help?"

Fujimaru's breath hitched as he stared at the outstretched hand. Here he was, receiving an outstretched hand from, if he recalled correctly, a long lost divine spirit. Now, he knew he should have taken the hand immediately, but he felt himself hesitate. What if the man wasn't content with him later on? What if incinerated him on the spot out of anger?

Though studying his relaxed look and posture, he felt like he really didn't need to worry about that. Besides, turning down his offer wouldn't end well for anybody.

He reached forward and grasped his hand.

Naruto smiled. "Very well. It'll be a pleasure working with you, Master."

* * *

 **Finally got this done. Even after going at double speed, this chapter did take a while for me to finish. Doesn't help that New Years took up my time as well.**

 **Anyway, unlike my old story, Naruto will take place in the beginning of the grand order series. Starting him too far forward lost all appeal to me because it doesn't give you much room to show any growth and development for the characters.**

 **And yes, Shinobi's will be considered canon in this universe. Gives him an actual reason to be around instead of the ZELRETCH plot hole device.**

 **If you have anything to say, please leave a review. It'll help me greatly with the story.**

 **Check out the next chapter, which should be coming out shortly.**

 **-Mpmvirgo1**


	2. Chapter 2

The first singularity that they had documented and mapped out was Orleans, France. A very nice countryside in the French kingdom that was beautiful for sightseeing and tourism. It was also the famous spot of the Hundred Years war, a war that actually spanned 116 years instead of 100 like the name suggests. Jeanne d'Arc, one of the most famous female saints in the world, played a huge part in this war.

It seemed like the least dangerous place compared to everywhere else so it was a start. Either that or Rome, but Naruto felt like Fujimaru and Mashu needed some experience before they got into a dangerous place like Rome.

So after Mashu and Fujimaru left to get some rest and prepare for tomorrow, Naruto and Roman sat themselves down in a quiet cafeteria and were casually making conversation.

"It is awfully nice and unexpected of you for agreeing to help us out like this." Roman noted, staring at Naruto as he sipped at his coffee with a ditzy look on his face. "I would have thought-"

"Like I said, Doctor." Naruto cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Some of us still love humanity. We just can't visit you whenever we please, you should know that. If we just showed up whenever we wanted to, we'd undermine human order just by existing. It doesn't help that Gaia imposes rules on us so that we can't act freely."

"But you're here now. Was it because of Gaia being incinerated?" Roman asked, a curious look on his face. Despite what many people think, Gaia actually is a really huge conscious that represents the planet. Even if the surface of it is destroyed, he was pretty sure that Gaia would still be alive.

"Pretty much, yeah." Naruto nodded. "As the way the world is right now, Gaia isn't going to be complaining if I'm here. Especially since we are her only hopes of even saving her. That sounds like a pretty good reason in my book." He placed his mug down. "But just so you know, I won't be able to utilize the full extent of my power without cost. Your human brains probably won't survive the overload of my awesomeness."

"R-really?" Roman stuttered, feeling nervous at that warning.

"Yeah. Pretty much. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so awesome." Naruto muttered. "It seems that this body of mine is only going to be able to release enough power to compare to my form in the... fourth shinobi war? Yes, that should be a rough estimate."

"So quite powerful then."

"Quite. Should be enough for most threats, though I do believe that servants pack quite the powerful punch themselves. I suppose even I stand at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting foreign enemies." Naruto mused, having nearly zero experience with fighting foes outside of Ninjas. "It shouldn't take long for me to adapt though. These singularities will give me some time to adapt."

"Lets hope." Roman sighed, drinking his coffee. "Between you and Mashu, you're the only servants we have. The servant summoning system won't be up for another few hours and we don't have any catalysts to summon any servants with." He put a hand on his chin. "Well, we're lucky that Da Vinci has already come up with an alternative solution, but-"

"Hold up, Da Vinci?" Naruto interrupted, looking intrigued. "Like the inventor?"

"Yeah. The inventor. The famous Renaissance Man." Roman nodded before frowning. "Or... Woman I guess."

"Wait, what?"

"It's better if you see for yourself honestly." Roman muttered, remembering how shocked everyone had been when the inventor had first arrived at Chaldea. It was quite a weird experience for everybody.

"Well... Now is a better time than any." Naruto shrugged as he stood up. "Why don't you introduce me, doctor? I'm quite curious as to what you were implying."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't stare."

* * *

"I can't believe this..." Naruto muttered as he stared at the smiling woman in front of him. She was wearing a dress that looked liked it was heavily inspired by the Renaissance period, a mix of both brown and dark red tinted together to make the colors match. Her left arm was covered in a metal gauntlet, not a prosthetic limb which grasped a large staff with some kind of star object at the end of it.

"Aw... Is it really that surprising? An inventor like me can't resist studying a specimen like you!" Da Vinci giggled, taking photos of him and waving around numerous strange devices with numbers that Naruto couldn't make out. "Well, it's still a really nice pleasure to meet you. To think that a god would actually show himself here..."

"I'm just as surprised as you are." Naruto replied, looking around the workshop. Roman had said he was going to be leaving for a moment, making the excuse that he was busy still healing the injured. Of course, Naruto could tell that the doctor just felt nervous around the woman like he was treading on a minefield. He couldn't blame him. This woman seemed crazy in a small sense of the word, but not like Orochimaru crazy. The dude was in a league of his own.

"Well, not like we don't appreciate it. We need all the help we can get!" Da Vinci exclaimed as she walked back and forth around the room, constantly tidying up the place or fiddling with her gadgets that laid around in a messy pile. "I wish I could go, you know. Singularities would give me the perfect place to test out some of my equipment!"

"An inventor shouldn't be out on the battlefield." Naruto pointed out, earning a snort from the woman.

"Please. As if I am an ordinary inventor." Da Vinci muttered as she tapped her gauntlet. "I mean, I've already developed some pretty cool weaponry! Like this multi-purpose gauntlet that fires rockets, fire, ice, and pure prana! There's also that nuclear bomb I built lying around here somewhere but-"

"Wait... Bomb?" Naruto blinked with a slightly appalled look. "You built a bomb? Nuclear?"

"Yeah? Your point?" Da Vinci asked with a strange look as she dug through the pile.

"That just sounds dangerous..." Naruto muttered, giving the woman a dry look. "What if it goes off?"

"Oh it won't. I'm pretty sure I deactivated it." Da Vinci waved her hand. "Anyway, why don't you go get some rest? It must be quite boring for you to simply wait around until the Rayshifting begins."

"I don't need to sleep." Naruto deadpanned. "I'm a god, you know."

"Great! So as long as you're not going anywhere, why don't I experiment on you?" Da Vinci suggested casually as if there wasn't a million things wrong with that statement. "Who knows? My research on you can possibly revolutionize the entirety of the magical world! It might solve that energy problem that we're having right now too!"

He blanched at her. He's taking that previous statement back. This woman was nearing Orochimaru's level of crazy.

That was not good. If this woman really was anything like that snake pedo, she was going to stuff him in a glass tube for shits and giggles. He turned towards the sliding doo, only to hear a click as a metal plate lowered in front of the door and locking him in.

Da Vinci smiled, a small remote in her hand. "A-a-ah! I'm not letting you leave until my curiosity for knowledge is sated!"

He felt like crying at that moment.

* * *

When the sun rose the next morning, the group met back in the summoning chamber with full gear for the trip. Fujimaru wore his simple Chaldean uniform and Mashu had donned her great-shield and armor to spring to action at a moments notice. Naruto stood next to them with his eyes closed, his foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"Um... Naruto-Sempai? Are you alright?" Mashu hesitantly asked, seeing the strange look on his face.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night. Don't worry too much about it." Naruto mumbled, opening his eyes and sighing before smiling. "So when do we get started? I'm ready to go at any moment."

"Well, we should be going soon. Doctor Roman still has to power up the layshift, after all." Mashu said, leaning on her shield to maximize her rest before they leave. "Once that happens, we'll each head into one of the coffins so that we can safely transport to the time anomaly. It should be safe at the very least if the engineers managed to repair the damage from the explosion."

"Mashu... Are you sure you're ready for this?" Fujimaru suddenly asked, his eyes flashing with concern. "I mean, we can always stay here and practice some more in the simulation room. We've only been at this for a day at mos-"

"Nonsense, kid." Naruto cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You two need this actual life-threatening situation. A simulation always helps, but it's nothing compared to the real deal. You only get one life, you know?" His eyes twinkled. "Though I guess that doesn't apply to heroes. Whatever the case may be, you'll need to tackle this challenge head on."

"But don't you think this is too soon?" Fujimaru asked nervously, feeling the weight of this situation bearing down on him.

"Yes... I think Sempai is right. Perhaps this isn't the best choice right now. We should at least get stronger before we attempt to take down a singularity." Mashu agreed, sharing his concerns. With so many things riding on their shoulders, they needed to make absolutely sure that they were ready. If they died, humanity died with them.

"Maybe. Perhaps. I was barely into my teens when I was sent on my first mission." Naruto shrugged before placing a comforting hand on both of their shoulders. "But you'll have me with you two. Everything will be fine as long as you two stay with me. I'll be guiding you along the way." He smiled, poking Mashu on her forehead. "And I'll give you some pointers as well. Shields were very few during my time, but I can give you some pointers."

"T-thank you, Naruto-Sempai." Mashu mumbled, bowing profusely.

"And as for you..." Naruto turned towards Fujimaru, squeezing his shoulder. "You're a leader, not a fighter. Leave the fighting to us and steel yourself. That's what a commander does, even if it may seem cowardly to leave the work to everyone else. Soon you'll have to contract with other servants, and they won't be able to remain here if you're dead, understand?"

"Yes... I understand." Fujimaru nodded, understanding completely. That was one thing he hated about this job. He didn't like how he was supposed to leave everything up to the servants while he was supposed to stay away from the fighting. He knew there was a reason for it, but he just felt like a piece of garbage leaving people to fight for his sake.

Though he guessed that it was for humanities sake now. If he died, everyone else died. That was a truth everyone else admitted, even if it may seem kind of spoiled.

 _"Alright you three, Layshifting will begin in about 5 minutes. Please enter your respective coffin so that we may give you a safe journey."_

Naruto looked up as the doctor's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "You heard the man, let's get ready."

"Hai!"

The two nodded eagerly as the coffins rose from the ground and opened with an audible hiss. As the three got into their respective coffin, the glass door closed over them and the interior sparked to life with numerous colors and graphs detailing their conditions. The numerous staff members and workers in the glass control room above them scrambled around, flipping dials and pulling levers as the machine began humming to life.

From his seat from the central communication terminal, Doctor Roman's finger hovered over a red button that was sitting next to his desk. Upon seeing the thumbs up that everyone was giving him, he pressed the button.

 _"Layshifting will begin in 3...2...1...Launch!"_

The entire area was basked in a white light as the system worked its magic. Several seconds later, the trio found their bodies becoming weightless as they felt themselves dissolving into spirit particles.

And just like that, the first singularity operation of Orleans has begun.

* * *

"Touchdown!" Naruto cried out with excitement as he felt his feet touch down on solid ground. Needless to say, the Layshifting hadn't been unpleasant but it was a little bit uncomfortable. Being dismantled into the size of a particle and reforming wasn't exactly something that felt good.

"Did we make it?" Fujimaru muttered, looking around at the green scenery that was not native to Chaldea.

"Yes, we have. The doctor has pulled through as usual." Mashu confirmed, setting her shield down and stretching her limbs and getting feeling back into her body. As she was doing so, Fujimaru suddenly let out a cry of alarm.

"Awah!" He yelped as Fou shot out of nowhere, attaching itself to his shoulder and sitting down like a obedient pup.

"Fou-san?" Mashu blinked before sighing. "He must have came with us by sneaking into one of the coffins. I told Doctor Roman to look after you, but it seems like he did a terrible job as usual."

"I didn't even notice." Naruto muttered, staring at the critter with some kind of... odd look. It was something along the lines of suspension and a side of disbelief, something they noticed he had whenever Fou came around to play. It was like he knew Fou, or at least, his kind, from before.

Still, nobody decided to ask anything. It wasn't a bit of a big deal for someone to be a little bit baffled with meeting a creature like Fou. He was quite an oddity, after all.

Mashu smiled, looking around in wonder at the land around her. Since she herself had been raised in Chaldea all her life, she never got to see the blue sky or the grassy fields. It always snowed in Chaldea, designed to shield it from the eyes from other. She didn't hate it, but she always wished she could see this 'blue sky' that the doctor always told her about.

And now she had the chance to do so. But she couldn't focus on that for too long. They had an important job to do and she had time later to admire the sights around her.

She looked at her wrist where a small watch-like device was situated. "It seems the time period is also correct. We've arrived in 1431, the middle of one of the greatest wars in France."

"The hundred years war?" Fujimaru asked, having studied a little bit about history as a requirement for the job.

"Yeah, that war was a piece of work." Naruto muttered, drawing their attentions. "You'd think it'd go for a century straight, but it continued a little bit longer than that. Though judging by the time period we landed in, this part of the war was usually more relaxed." He looked around. "Soldiers were often traded during these times, usually for gold and resources. As long as we don't actively go looking for trouble, we should be fine."

"Um..."

"Yes?" Naruto asked, looking behind him to see Fujimaru staring at the sky. "What are you looking a-"

Following his gaze, Naruto paused for a moment as he saw a white circle of light that hung above them like a halo. If one looked at it directly, they would have mistook it for a really odd cloud. However, it was definitely no cloud. It was farther than any cloud could possibly go.

"Eh?" Mashu muttered in confusion, looking up at the sky and ignoring the beeping her wrist device gave off. Even as a holographic image of the Doctor showed up with a relieved smile on his face.

"Yes! Collection line is established! It may be a little bit rough, but at least we can do face to face communication and transmit visuals now!" He suddenly paused, seeing the looks on their faces as they stared up at the sky. "What's with you guys?"

"Doctor, please look at the sky." Mashu murmured. The doctor blinked in confusion before following their gazes to see the white bands of light that stretched in a circle. He blanched.

"What?" He muttered, analyzing that strange pattern. "A ring of light? No... More like some kind of magical ritual in the sky? Either way, it's still ridiculously huge... Could it be just as big as the North American continent?" He shook his head. "Whatever the case may be, it's obvious that it's involved in destroying the future. Scanners also dictate that Lev has been through here as well."

"I'm surprised." Naruto muttered, staring up at the ring. "I don't recall anyone ever having set something like that up, nor do I know anyone with the ability to do so. The power it would require to set something like this up is unimaginable."

"Then we should probably go out and see what the locals know." Fujimaru suggested. "They have to at least know something, right? A big ring in the sky is something at least someone should know about."

Naruto smiled. "An astute suggestion, Fujimaru. We shall begin towards the nearest form of civilization immediately." He nodded towards Mashu. "Mashu, why don't you lead? I'll protect the back."

"Hai! Leave it to me!" Mashu nodded, quickly moving up to the front of the group with her shield as they began wandering down the dirt path. If they were lucky, they would be able to find a town in 30 minutes.

They still remained on guard, however. While there may not have been many magical beasts associated with France, they didn't want to tread around too carelessly.

* * *

"Hey, look." Mashu noted, stopping the group from their walk as they walked up to the peak of a hill they were climbing. From their vantage point, they saw what looked to be a small caravan of knights on horseback riding at a leisurely pace a few kilometers away. Their armor were accented with blue cloth, showing which side their allegiance was to.

"Looks to be a French patrol. They always did like the color blue." Naruto noted.

"You think they'll mistake us for the enemy?" Fujimaru asked with a slightly worried tone.

"We're foreigners, so I'm not sure how they'll react to that." Naruto said, going through possible scenarios in his head. "But I guess the first thing we should do is talk to them. If things go bad, we can smack them around a bit and knock them out."

"Knock them out?" Mashu gave him a quizzical look.

"Yeah. Leaving dead bodies isn't exactly a good thing to do. Besides, I'd rather not kill too many people while we're here." Naruto noted as he watched the group continue to move. "Anyways Mashu, I'll let you do the talking."

"Eh?!" Mashu exclaimed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "Why me?"

"I'm not that fluent in French." Fujimaru noted, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Can't speak it unless it's slow. Roman told me you've memorized several languages though, so you're naturally qualified to do so."

"Plus, you'll need to learn how to speak to foreigners. Many servants come from many different places, and thus you should learn how to interact with foreigners." Naruto nodded. "As long as you speak French, everything should be fine."

"Fou!" Fou nodded from Fujimaru's shoulder, pawing at the air like it was trying to mimic a shooing motion.

Mashu fumbled with her shield a bit. "O-okay... I guess it wouldn't hurt to have some experience."

"Atta girl." Naruto grinned, gently pushing her forward. "Go on. Make sure not to speak in english. I'll cover you if they attack."

Mashu began walking forward. Slowly at first, but she began to straighten up in a presentable manner as she started to gain confidence. As she appeared in front of the carivan, the soldiers stopped in sudden alarm of her appearance.

"Bonjour, soldats!" Mashu greeted with a confident voice. "Moi et mes comarades voyageons-"

Mashu paused as the men began screaming and drawing their swords. They didn't look to be barbaric though, as there was panic and fear in their eyes.

"Quelle?" Mashu questioned, preparing herself to react on a moments notice.

"Don't try to fool us, soldier of Britain!" One of the soldiers exclaimed, suddenly in English though it sounded odd with that thick accent of his.

"Um... We're not soldiers. Mashu is even speaking your language, you know?" Fujimaru noted. Other than Mashu, him and Naruto looked as non-threatening as it got. Naruto didn't even have any visible weapons on him.

"Her accent is too light. You can not deceive us. Simply speaking our language does not mean we are allies." The lead man growled as they began to inch forward. "And that shield of yours..." The man paused. "No doubt some new kind of weapon they have been developing."

"That's a stretch and you know it. Do we even sound British to you?" Naruto questioned, slightly moving his feet apart. "All of us are simple travelers who have just arrived in the country today. None of us know what's going on, and we were simply looking for directions. I had heard the knights of France were as chivalrous as it gets around these parts and I had hoped you be willing to help us." He sighed. "How foolish of us. The French seem to be such an uncouth group. Turning their swords on us... how unchivalrous."

"Um..." The knights shuffled uneasily, finding this sudden guilt turn on them while Fujimaru and Mashu stared at Naruto with agape mouths as he worked his magic.

"I mean, why would you even turn your swords on such a sweet girl? A shield bearer, no less! Why, a shield is a weapon of defense, not of weapon of death! You should be ashamed of yourselves knights of France, for you are breaking one of the greatest of oaths!" Naruto turned his back on the men, giving Fujimaru and Mashu an unseen smile. "Come along now, you two. We shall find other people who can help us. Perhaps the British would-"

"No! Wait!" The lead man cut in, quickly sheathing his sword along with the rest of the other men. "You can't do that! Perilous dangers have descended all over the countryside! Without an entire group of soldiers, you are doomed!"

Naruto grinned. 'Jackpot'. He turned towards the men once again. "Explain?"

The men looked at each other before the leader sighed.

"Follow us and keep close. We'll take you to our base."

* * *

The group followed silently as the soldiers led them through the fields and forests towards their base. When they arrived, the group blinked when they realized the place they called their 'base' was not exactly much of a base in the first place.

It was a fort. Or at least, whatever remains of it. The walls were cracked and crumbling apart, leaving it pretty much open to all forms of attack without any major defensive advantages to speak of.

"A fort? This is your base?" Fujimaru asked, looking around curiously.

"Yes, it used to be complete once." The lead soldier nodded as they stood outside the gates, the others having headed inside. "Of course, the war had been quite vicious. This is only one out of a handful of bases that are in operational service, as small as it is."

"Had?" Mashu inquired, catching onto that word. "What do you mean by 'had'?"

The soldier gave them a strange look. "Well... I guess foreigners wouldn't know. The war actually ended quite a while ago. Britain has long since pulled back, but we remain on guard should they come back. As for our king..." He paused. "Please wait a moment. I need to check on something for a moment."

The trio gave him an odd look as he jogged off into the castle, though they remained outside out of respect for whatever they were doing.

"Did you get that doctor?" Naruto asked.

 _"Yeah. Quite curious, though we can safely assume what exactly is the anomaly here."_ The doctor said from Mashu's wristwatch communicator. _"The war should still be going on at this point. Though from what he said, it has ended a long time ago. He also mentioned the king in a weird manner, meaning that-"_

"That either the king is dead or something is obviously wrong with him." Mashu finished, looking around curiously. "So what's with all of the soldiers? Why would they need to stay here if the war is over?"

"Perhaps there is still rising tensions. It would still make sense for them to be here." Fujimaru said, leaning against one of the trees to rest. The trek didn't seem to have affected anyone too much, but he felt his muscles ache a little bit.

"Or there is another threat they haven't told us about." Naruto noted with a frown on his face. "Though I must admit, even I don't know exactly what kind of threat they would be on guard fro-"

Suddenly, loud growling noises could be heard off in the distance. Judging by the noise getting louder, it seems that whatever was causing them was approaching them at a very rapid pace.

And as if on cue, one of the soldiers came running out.

"Ah! They're coming! They're coming again!"

 _"Be careful! I'm detecting magical responses!"_ Roman warned. _"It's a smaller power so I can only assume that they are small skeletal familiars of some sort! But just in case, be on your guard!"_

"Master! Your orders!" Mashu asked with a serious look, preparing her shield for combat.

Fujimaru took in a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "Defend this station! Do not let a single one through!"

Naruto laughed. "Understood, master! Follow my lead, Mashu. I'm going to teach you everything there is when it comes to defensive battling!"

Mashu nodded, secretly excited at getting taught by such a mystical being.

"Hai! I'll do my best!"

* * *

 **And that's chapter 2. Sorry for the weekly wait, but I was busy with school and such.**

 **As you can see, Naruto's base form will be around the 4th shinobi war. This is for slight balancing as to not make him into an unstoppable killing machine and completely wreck every singularity.**

 **I also plan to release a stat-sheet for Naruto later if any of you are interested.**

 **Also, I plan on incorporating servants in an individual order. For example, new servants won't be able to be summoned until after each singularity is completed. Of course, I might make an exception for event servants but those will be few.**

 **Fuyuki servants will be able to be summoned in the future.**

 **That's all I have to say for now. See you in the next chapter! And I might respond to some reviews as well!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Remember to keep up a set distance between you and your master." Naruto lectured Mashu while he casually kicked a skeletal warrior into a tree and smashing it apart. "Gaps in your defenses will open up whenever you move. You must make sure that you can shift gears and easily clog them should the need arise."

"Hai!" Mashu nodded in understanding as she swung and bashed her shield against the flood of skeletal warriors that were swarming out of the nearby forests. They tried to slip past her, but her massive shield immediately halted them in their tracks. They tried piling up on her, but her shield still held firm as she blasted them back.

Naruto still kept a close eye on her though, making it a point to remind her whenever she was getting too far from the rest of them. She wasn't experienced enough to perform extreme one on one combat against a large group. She was only a shielder after all.

Though admittedly, she was doing far better than expected. Her form was good, and she was starting to learn when to pull back to a more advantageous position. With a little bit more training, he hazard to guess that she would be good enough to become an unbreakable defense that could stop anything.

And as for that shield...

He didn't say anything, possibly because he wasn't sure of it himself, but he had a gut feeling about what that Noble Phantasm was. A shield bearing that crest and design was almost unrecognizable to those who had seen it before. And if it _was_ the object he was thinking about...

Then it was a weapon of defense on the level of the gods. An object that doesn't repel the attack through just the use of its physical defense, but with the power of the user's will. Through such a concept, it even surpasses that of the Yata Mirror which is said to reflect all things that make up the basis of nature.

"To think the girl would have merged with such a heroic spirit..." He mused quietly to himself as he crushed another skeletal warrior's head in. "Ah... what am I thinking. I have a job to do." He gave the last few remaining skeletal warriors a disappointed look. "Man... This isn't nearly enough work to waste my chakra on. A servant would have been more appropriate."

He sighed. "Well, whatever. This is what happens when you send sheep to fight a lion." He reached into the folds of his coat and drew several sharp kunai that were fitted between his fingers. With another small movement, they flew at the speed of a high calibre bullet and piercing the remaining skeletons who tried to run away.

"There we go." Naruto nodded in satisfaction before turning to Mashu, who was leaning against her shield slightly out of breath. "You alright, Mashu?"

The girl gave him a slightly tired smile. "Yes, Naruto-Sempai. I'm just a little bit winded."

"We're going to have to work on your endurance later." Naruto noted as he moved over to the skeletal remains and carefully grabbed the kunai that he had thrown around.

"That was pretty awesome." Fujimaru said as he approached them, having come out from behind his cover. He gave Mashu a spare bottle water from his pack that he had took with him from the cafeteria, watching his kouhai drink it down with a thankful smile. "Though Naruto is right. Your endurance needs a little bit of work."

"Understood, Sempai. I shall work on that in our training sessions." Mashu nodded in agreement as she put the cap back on the bottle. "Some basic cardio should do nicely. Maybe sempai should train with me."

Fujimaru laughed. "Yeah, maybe I should. Don't want to lag behind everyone else."

"Indeed, Master. I shall make you some weights for your legs when we get back to Chaldea. They work wonders for getting faster." Naruto promised, a familiar bowl-haired man coming to mind.

As they sat down to rest, one of the soldiers had ran out of the castle with an amazed look as he stared at the scene around him. The bones and leftover remains clearly told him all that he needed to know.

"Wow... You guys are good. It usually took almost all of our weapons to hold off a single wave." He muttered in awe. "You guys aren't ordinary folk, are you?"

"We're foreigners." Fujimaru said, speaking up for the group. "None of us were lying about that. Though we have to ask, what is going on right now? Skeletal warriors are part of witchcraft right, isn't that something you guys don't condone?"

"Indeed. Black magic is something nobody should be able to use. Those that do though, usually become a menace to our society." The man explained as he looked around nervously. "We know who the perpetrator is, though. She has been plaguing this land for several months since the end of the war."

"She?" Mashu echoed.

The man nodded. "The girl who used to be our hero. She was the one who rallied us together against the British, giving us hope until she was captured and executed. Now though, she has returned from the dead as a spirit of vengeance that's lashing out at everyone. French, British, and countless others. Nobody is able to escape her wrath." He bit his lip. "Her name is Jeanne d'Arc, the Dragon Witch. Our former hero, is the villain behind these crimes."

The group's eyes widened upon that announcement. There could have been a multitude of candidates who would be the officiator of the problem, but someone like that? That never even came to mind.

"Jeanne d'Arc?" Fujimaru gasped. "The Maid of Orleans?"

"She's a hero! One of the most famous! That just doesn't sound right!" Mashu exclaimed, equally shocked.

"Anything can happen it seems." Naruto muttered as he pondered on such information. "Are you sure that you're not mistaken? It could be someone operating under her name."

"We all recognized her. Not a single one of us who served with her could ever forget her visage." The soldier replied with a resolute nod. "Her appearance was slightly different than what I remembered, though. Her skin was much paler and she was wearing black clothing against her usual purple attire. Even her flag is completely black like the night. We were all ready to give her our greetings when she suddenly-"

The man started shivering, obviously way too terrified to even speak about such a thing. "E-excuse me for a second."

"Take your time." Naruto said with a wave of his hand. The man nodded in appreciation and hobbled off, rejoining his comrades within the confines of the small fortress and leaving the trio alone once again.

"Black like the night..." Mashu murmured as she exchanged glances with Fujimaru. "Like the King Arthur of singularity F."

"It could be a possibility. The possibility of her being a pure villain just doesn't seem very right."

"You'd be surprised, Fujimaru." Naruto said with a slightly sad smile. "Lots of people who were evil usually had become evil due to something in their past. It doesn't take much to tip a person over the edge, and heroes are the most susceptible to those kinds of treatment. As the soldier said, she seems to be striking at whatever human she can get her hands on like a child taking out her frustrations on toys. Anger to end human life without a care like that requires quite a lot of emotion. The only reason she could harness so much anger is most likely due to a certain event in her life. An event that was unjust and unfair."

"Her burning at the stake." Mashu realized, her eyes widening. "The unjust execution she was handed when the British captured her on the account of being a witch. If there was anything that could incite her to do something like this, it would be that!"

"But... would she really do that? I mean, she's supposed to be a holy maiden right?" He paused. "Do you think she was summoned as a servant for that sole purpose?"

"We cannot say for sure. We shall keep that idea in mind, but keep our imagination open." Naruto said as he glanced at Mashu's watch curiously. "By the way, is the doctor there? He's been quite for some time."

Mashu sighed. "He's probably on a lunch break right now. If there is food involved, he'll usually be away from his post for a break." She pouted. "Unlike sempai, he doesn't work as hard."

Fujimaru gave an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed his neck. "Ah... Well, I wouldn't say that I'm the one whose working hard."

"Well, it may seem like that now. The longer you keep doing this, you'll have to adapt." Naruto said with a smile. "Though it's fine to come up with the plans. Just leave the work to us and try not to get killed."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Fujimaru said, sitting down on a nearby rock. "So what do you guys think we should do now? We don't know our way around the countryside, and I doubt the soldiers will help us any further without risking leaving their posts."

"We can ask the doctor when he gets back from his break. In the meantime, our best course of action should be to-"

Suddenly, multiple roars came from the forests where the skeletons had once come from. Judging by the sound of the wind being buffeted though, it was most definitely not skeleton warriors and not something humanoid.

Naruto uttered a curse and quickly stood up. "Shit... I can't believe this. Has the singularity really been twisted so much out of history for a species like them to be here?"

"More enemies, Naruto-sempai?" Mashu asked, standing up with a frown as she readied her shield once again.

"So it seems." He grumbled, pulling out several kunai as he faced the direction the roars had come from. "And I need you to be on the top of your game, Mashu. If I'm correct, these new fry won't be like the last. Not by a long shot."

Mashu fidgeted slightly, her nervousness kicking in. She had fought skeletons and wraiths before in singularity F, but this sound didn't carry such an otherworldly presence. In fact, it was much more majestic and animalistic, though it couldn't really be linked with any animal she had ever heard before.

The soldiers in the fort were once again scrambling around in a panic as the quickly redrew their swords and spears for combat, though it would have been a shameful sight for anyone who called themselves knights. Their armor was dusty and torn from use and their weapons have lost their shine due to rust. They all looked like they were going to break down at any moment.

Though it seems like they would be killed before something like that could happen.

Breaking through the top of the trees were some sort of flying animal with a green reptilian body that was flakey with numerous scales. On their backs were large wings with a span larger than that of any bird, buffeting the winds whenever they flapped.

"Dragons! The dragons are coming!" The soldiers screamed as they scrambled around for any small cover that would help serve as some kind of protection.

Naruto grunted. "Seems like I was right. That's a dragon."

Fujimaru paled. "A dragon?! Like, the ones from King Arthur and such?!"

"That shouldn't be possible... Dragons shouldn't have existed anywhere in fifteenth century France!" Mashu exclaimed nervously as the small dragon turned its eyes on her. She could have sworn that she saw its pink tongue flicker in anticipation, having selected her as one of its targets.

"Technically it's a Wyvern, a subspecies of dragon. It's not as powerful or as big as their cousins, but it's still a certainly dangerous phantasmal creature." Naruto corrected as more Wyverns began to rise out of the forest. "Seems like they were attracted here thanks to the large amounts of wounded soldiers. Kind of like how sharks are attracted to the scent of blood."

"So you're saying that if we don't stop them, pretty much everyone will end up as dragon food." Fujimaru summarized with an appalled look.

"Pretty much, yeah. Phantasmal Creatures aren't exactly all that smart but they also posses the same sense of self-preservation that any living thing has. Their train of thought usually goes from eating to making babies, ensuring the survival of their race. Thus, I highly doubt that any soldier who gets caught within their talons will survive."

"So then we have to stop them." Mashu muttered, though she seemed a little bit hesitant. "But their numbers are growing... Do you think we can actually hold so many off?"

"Well, we have to try don't we?" Naruto replied with an amused smile. "These creatures are still small fry compared to a servant, but they're still smarter than those skeletons we faced earlier. They'll adapt if we don't take them out fast enough."

"So then how are we supposed to do this?" Mashu asked as the dragons began flying towards them, clearly not interested in stopping.

"They're animals. Naturally enough, they'll go after the biggest threat to their species on instinct." Naruto said as he stepped forward. "The best way to insure everyones survival is to simply charge into the hoard and get their attention. They'll ignore the others to take care of the bigger threats." He paused. "Though it wouldn't hurt to have an extra defensive servant on our side. Though I doubt that we have any of those lying arou-"

Suddenly, screams resonated from within the fortresses' walls. Turning around in surprise, the group blinked in stunned shock as the soldiers apparently abandoned their posts, running away from the fortress and into the forests in clear panic.

"The Witch!"

"She's here!"

"Have mercy, God!"

They certainly ran faster than what should have been humanly possible. Humans of the old age were supposedly much more powerful than regular humans, but even the regular soldiers ran as fast as a car when it came down to it. Though, they had to wonder if it only applied to these kinds of circumstances.

"W-wait a minute!" Fujimaru gaped as he watched them go. "Did they just leave us behind?!"

"Figures." Naruto sighed in exasperation, seemingly more annoyed than angry. "At least we don't have to worry about protecting them anymore."

"Um... Did they say something about a witch?" Mashu hesitantly asked having heard their pleas for mercy as they ran. "You don't think that the dragon witch is here, right?"

Naruto grunted. "Well, unless you're counting that blonde girl over there as a witch."

"Eh?"

Fujimaru and Mashu turned towards where Naruto was pointing and saw a young french woman walking out of the gates of the fortress with a slightly awkward look on her face. She was clad in silver armor along with a purple cape that was draped over her back with a white cross imprinted boldly for all to see. In her right hand was a gold and white flag that billowed in the wind, bearing numerous golden designs that shone with a serene light.

She was certainly beautiful, but even that word could be said as a dishonor to her beauty. It was something else, more akin to an otherworldly being that scarcely felt human. She didn't have the kind of beauty that made people's hearts flutter when near, but one that could barely called real. A pureness no human could ever achieve no matter how many makeup or beauty products one uses.

She bit her lips, obviously troubled by the sight of the dragons flying around. Turning towards them, she pointed her finger towards them in acknowledgement.

"A pair of servants and master, correct?" She spoke, her French accent making her tone sound very foreign and serene at the same time.

"Um..." Fujimaru's mouth hung open as he stared at her, finding himself a little bit overwhelmed by her otherworldly presence. "Y-yes. I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru... The master."

"Mashu Kyrielight." Mashu introduced herself as well with a happy nod, noticing that the energy signature and graphs matched a servant. "It's nice to meet you, um..."

The girl bit her lip before gesturing with her flag towards the dragons who were closing in on their position. "I'll introduce myself later. For now, let us take care of these creatures before they do too much damage. She turned towards Naruto with a curious look. "Are you alright with assisting me?"

Naruto shrugged. "No problem, missy. You look like someone whose much more suited to fighting in a group. No offense, by the way."

The woman nodded, not at all having been offended by his words. "None taken. I must admit, I'm not much of a phenomenal frontline fighter. I'm usually the support, so forgive me if I leave you with most of the work."

"Least you're honest about it." Naruto grunted, brandishing his kunai as he stepped in front of them. "Mashu, stay behind and guard Fujimaru in case any stragglers get through. Without you, he's going to get eaten."

"Hey!" Fujimaru whined.

"Understood." Mashu nodded as she scooted closer to Fujimaru, covering him with her shield. Satisfied, Naruto turned towards the mysterious woman and gave her a nod.

"Lead. I'll follow."

"Then with your support, please follow me." The woman said as she held up her flag and charged straight into the horde of dragons, Naruto following behind at her heels.

Mashu watched them go with a small pout on her face. As much as she knew that her job was important, she really wanted to be in the fight. She needed more experience to get stronger and she had wanted to test herself against those of the phantasmal species.

Well, she couldn't do anything about it now. She was a shielder, not a saber. Her job was to be the wall that defended her master, not the soldiers who fought on the front lines.

Though she would have liked to bash more things with her shield first. Dare she say it, she actually enjoyed the small feeling of battle slightly. Though she made a point not to let the doctor know. He was too much of a hassle to deal with, especially when he got fussy.

Speaking of the doctor...

Mashu glanced at her wrist as the small device began beeping urgently. Clicking on it, the small hologram of the doctor appeared in the air as the connection was established.

 _"Hey guys! Sorry about that, I was getting myself some food..."_ He popped a small white object in his mouth and chewed on it with satisfaction. _"Mmm... These Sesame Manjuu are quite good..."_ _  
_

"Sesame Manjuu?" Fujimaru asked curiously, peaking over Mashu's shoulder to see the small white buns that were compacted in a small bag that the doctor was holding. "Oh man... Those look good."

 _"I know right? Whoever made these was really good. Not the best, but certainly good."_ The doctor agreed as he popped another one into his mouth.

Mashu scowled at those words. "Doctor, you know those were the Sesame Manjuu that I prepared, right?"

The doctor blinked. _"Eh? But it was sitting in the control room alongside the tea so I figured that it was surely-"_

"It was for Me, Naruto-Sempai, and Master-Sempai. You know, the people who are actually working?" Mashu put her hands on her hips as she continued to glare at the good doctor.

 _"Mashu... how were you raised as such a good girl?"_ The doctor swallowed. _"Oh man... That was good. I'm sure Fujimaru would have been quite pleased if he was eating."_

Mashu's grip turned white on her shield. "Master. When we get home, please save some of this excursion's battle resources for me. There's one more person I'd like to add to my list of enemies beaten with the back of my shield."

Fujimaru sweatdropped, but he just gave his kouhai a pat on the back. "Yeah... sure. Go ahead."

 _"Mou... you're so mean, you two."_ The doctor whined with a pouty look before he suddenly noticed something. _"Hey... Where's Naruto?"_

"He's busy right now." Mashu said, earning a confused look from the Doctor.

 _"With what?"_

Before Mashu could even respond, a large object flew past them and smashed into the nearby walls, causing it to crumble from the force and weight. Turning around, they saw that the object had been a dragon talon, completely severed from the body of one of the wyverns.

 _"Oh..."_

* * *

Naruto cleanly sliced through another wyvern with his kunai, sending it spiraling out of control and crashing into a nearby tree. At this point, thirty wyvern lay dead at his feet and their numbers were only dwindling slightly. They were like annoying bees or roaches, constantly attacking in swarms and nipping at his heels.

Behind him, his new partner was faring much better than Mashu did. Though it wasn't too much of a surprise since this girl was obviously a full-fledged heroic spirit who has most likely seen more action in a week than Mashu has ever seen in her entire life.

Though who she most likely was confused him a bit. After all, it wasn't too hard for him to figure out who she was. Carrying the flag of Orleans and heeding the voice of God seemed like something only one woman could possess.

"Saint Jeanne d'Arc, right?" Naruto asked, getting a glancing look from the saint and she stabbed her flag through another Wyvern and slamming it into the ground. "The one who people of this era call the dragon witch?"

"That's not who I am..." She muttered as she ducked under another slash. "That's not the true me."

"Clearly. You wouldn't be here if that were true." Naruto noted as he sent a kunai flying through a Wyvern's chest. "So that must mean this time-period is more messed up than I thought."

"Time period?" She narrowed her eyes.

"We'll talk about it later. After we clean this mess up." He sent a kunai past her shoulder and impaled a Wyvern that had approached her from behind. "Save your strength. I can tell you're an unstable existence, and it wouldn't do for you to die on my watch. If you wanna help, why not be my cheerleader?"

"Cheerleader?" She blushed slightly. "I'm not exactly a cheerleader... I don't just sit back and let everyone else do all the work."

"Sure you didn't, but you'll do so now. You die, and any hope of fixing this place goes straight out the window."

Jeanne narrowed her eyes. "Fix this place? How do you plan to fix this place, servant?"

"By pulling out the problem by the roots. Without you, it'll be significantly harder for us to do so." He gave her a small comforting look. "I know how this must feel, but please hold back for a few more minutes while I deal with this problem."

The two of them stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Jeanne sighed in defeat, stepping backwards and planting her standard into the ground.

"I will honor your request and stay back. Please do your best as to not get hurt too badly..." Jeanne said with a small amount of worry. "Though I will pray for your safety, it won't do much if you decide to be too reckless."

"Trust me, I stopped being too reckless a long time ago." Naruto chuckled.

"Hm..." Her eyes suddenly widened. "Your left!"

"Eh?" Naruto spun around and blinked as a Wyvern smacked him aside with its talons, sending him crashing through several trees with the rest of the pack following after him.

He stared up at the sky as he laid amidst the rubble, sighing to himself as he sat up and glared at the approaching creatures with annoyance.

"How rude... Seriously, keep this up and I might not be able to contain myself anymore." He grumbled as he stood up. "I mean, it's like an all you can eat dragon buffet! And since I'm not one to waste food... I think I'll take one of everything!"

He charged forward, ready to tear all of them apart.

* * *

 **Yo guys, just in time for an update! From now on, I plan to at least try my hardest to get a single chapter in every week. Maybe two if I'm really feeling up to it and I have some free time on my hands.**

 **Now then, I have a request for all of you! A special challenge that I honestly haven't really figured out all myself.**

 **I'm talking about how strong servants are actually supposed to be.**

 **I know, it's the kind of thing that causes massive arguments and whatnot, but I really need your opinions on this since I don't want servants to be able to do things that are supposedly out of their league. For example, people who have read about mythology know exactly how ridiculous how powerful some heroes are. For instance, Heracles was thought to be able to defeat Death in a wrestling match and rip apart mountains with ease. Karna was able to shoot a literal rain of millions of arrows and push back a chariot weighing as much as the universe. And then there is the King of Heroes Gilgamesh, who literally casually blew off gods and other immortal beings on a daily basis.**

 **So I'd really like to know how exactly powerful Servants should exactly be. The Nasuverse is quite complicated and lots of facts get twisted around easily, so how about we compare the servants to those of other heavy hitters like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece? It'll be fun and we'll all learn some new things here and there.**

 **And I know this is the franchise where powerlevels hold just as much weight as in DBZ, but it helps give me something to work with.**

 **That's my challenge to you all! Come up with a worthy argument so that this story may flourish! (Though don't go starting a war in the reviews. That's spacebattles job.)**

 **See you in the next chapter!**

 **-Mpmvirgo**


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